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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — employees
  8. cold — not warm
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — a stick
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cold — an illness
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com